Means for moving bedsteads.



A. LAWRENCE.

MEANS FOR MOVING BEDSTEADS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. '7, 1913.

1985344. Patented Jan. 27, 1914. v

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A. LAWRENCE.

MEANS FOR MOVING BEDSTEADS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1913. v

' Patented J an. 27, 1914.

7 "negL 3 SHEBTS-SHEET Z.

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COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH c0., WASHINGTON. D. 1:;

A. LAWRENCE. MEANS FOR MOVING BEDSTEADS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. '7. 1913.

1,085,444. Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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frail) STA'1 E PATENT onnicn.

ALFRED LAWRENCE, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB TO HOSKINS AND SEWELL LIMITED, 015 BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR MOVING BEDSTEADS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED LAWRENCE, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 20 Glaremont road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, England, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Means for Moving Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means for enabling bedsteads, particularly those used in hospitals and other institutions, to be readily moved about; said means being of that type comprising a trolley frame mounted on wheels or casters, and secured to the underside of the bedstead at a point between the ends of the latter, so as to support the same and take practically the whole of the weight when one end of the bedstead is elevated or raised from the floor, thus enabling said bedstead to be easily wheeled about from one place to another.

Hitherto with this type of device a lever or other suitable lifting device has been interposed between the trolley and the bedstead, and to raise one end of the bedstead in order to bring said trolley into use for wheeling the bedstead about, it has been necessary to operate said lever or the like so as to bodily lift the bed together with the occupant; but by the present invention the dead weight of the bed itself and of the occupant does not require to be lifted in order to bring the trolley device into action.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings represents a perspective view of a bedstead which is fitted with a trolley device in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the bedstead, showing the trolley in front elevation. Fig. 3 represents a side view of the trolley, showing the manner in which it is secured to the head end of the bedstead, the telescopic central leg by which the said head end is supported when the trolley is not in use being shown raised. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the trolley, with the central leg of the head end shown lowered. Fig. 5 shows an enlarged longitudinal section through the said telescopic central leg. Fig. 6 shows a modified form of telescopic leg for supporting the head end of the bedstead. Fig. 7 is a cross-section through 00, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents a perspective view of a slight modification.

The same reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, the improved trolley device consists of a pair of vertical side pillars or legs 1 which are connected together by two horizontal cross members 2, of a length approximately equal to the width of the bedstead. The said side pillars 1 are tubular and are mounted at their lower ends upon wheels or casters 3, while their upper ends are provided with clamping devices which are adapted to be engaged with the side rail 4 of the mattress frame. Each said clamping device is carried by a short rod 5 sliding within the pillar 1 and a coiled spring 6 is interposed between the end of the said sidepillar and a collar 8 formed around the upper end of the rod 5. The movement of the rod 5 within the pillar is limited by means of a set-screw 9 passing through the said pillar 1 and engaging within a slot 10 in the said rod. The clamping device consists of a support or bracket 11 having a curved upper end adapted to be engaged with the underside of the side rail at of the mattress frame, and a U-shaped clip 12 which is engaged over the upper face of the side rail 4 and secured to the said support 11 by means of a bolt 13 passing transversely through the latter. The trolley frame is also secured to the bedstead by means of stays 14 connectingthe lower cross bar 2 of the trolley frame to the lower cross-bar 15 of the head end of the bedstead and fixed to the said cross bars by suitable terminal clips 24. The said head end of the bedstead is pro vided with a single central leg 16 (see Fig. 5) which may be raised when the trolley frame is in use to allow of the bedstead being wheeled about. The said leg 16 passes through a vertical tube 17 forming part of the bedstead end, and at its upper end it carries a wormed rod 18 passing through a nut 19 rotatably mounted within a gap in the tube 17, so that on the said nut 19 being rotated the leg 16 may be raised or lowered. The member 16 is formed with an enlarged lower end 20 constituting a foot.

Referring to the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, the inner member or leg 16 may be provided with a transverse pin 21, (see Fig. 7), whose ends are engaged within a slot 22 in the tubular member 17 the said pin being engaged with a recess in the lower end of the slot to hold the member 16 in its normal position for supportin the end of the bedstead and engaged wit 1 a recess in the upper end of the said slot to hold the said inner member in its raised position. The said leg member 16 is adapted to be raised or lowered by means,

ofa grip 23, through which the pin 21 passes. It is understood that the head end of the bedstead is normally supported by the sin le leg 16 which is only raised when it is esired to wheel the bedstead about by means of the trolley, so that said trolley then takes the weight. The foot end of the bedstead may be raised by handles 25 when being wheeled.

Referring to Fig. 8, if desired, the side pillars 26 of the bedstead end may be directed inwardand connected to the lower end of the tubular member 17 in which the leg 16 slides as shown, while the stays 1'4: connecting, the trolley frame to the bedstead end may be directed upward and connected to the said side pillars 26, immediately beneath the mattress frame. Handlesat the foot end of the bedstead may be omitted. Any other form of leg or support may be employed at the head end of the bedstead which is capable of being raised from the ground, when the trolley is in use; or the head end maybe provided with a fixed leg or legs, the trolley frame being slightly higher than the said legs, so that they are raised from the ground when the said trolley is in use. The trolley can thus be applied to any form of bedstead provided the pillars or legs at the head end are-of such a length that they do not touch the floor when the trolley is in use. This may be provided for by removing the casters.

Having fully described my invention, what I desireto claim and secure by Let'- ters Patent is:'

1. The combination with a bedstead, of a nonextensible trolley frame mounted on wheels and directlv connected at its upper end to the bedstead at a point between the ends of the latter; said bedstead having one end situated above the level ofthe floor so that it can bewheeled about by the trolley device without having to first bodily lift the said bedstead and occupant.

2. Means for moving hospital and other bedsteads comprisin a pair of vertical pillars, means provider at theupper'ends of said pillars for connecting same to the bed stead frame at a point between the ends of the latter, wheels provided at the lower ends of said pillars, and transverse members connecting said pillars together, substantially as described.

3. Means for moving hospital and other bedsteads comprising a pair of vertical pillars, means provided at the upper ends of said pillars for connecting same to the bedstead frame at a. point between the ends of the latter, wheels provided at the lower ends of said pillars, transverse members connecting said pillars together to form a frame, and stays for connecting the lower end of the said frame to an end of thebedstead, substantially as described.

4. A bedstead comprising a frame, a trolley support connected to the frame at a point between the ends of the latter, a support at one end ofthe bedstead, and means for raising said support clear of the floor independently of the bedstead: frame in order to admit of said bedstead being wheeledabout.

5. A bedstead comprising a frame, a trolley support connected to the frame at a point between the ends of the latter, a vert1- cally movable support at the head end of the bedstead, means for guiding said support in its vertical movement, and means for maintaining said support in its raised position clear of the floor (to allow of the bedstead being wheeled about) or in its lowered position.

6. A bedstead comprising a frame, a trolley support connected tothe-frame, a vertically slidable le member at one end of thebedstead, a tubu ar guide in which the said leg can slide, and means for raising said leg and locking same. in its raised and lowered positions.

7. A bedstead comprising aframe, a trolley support connected to the frame, avertically slidable leg memberat one end of the bedstead, a tubular guide carried by the bedstead frame in which said leg member can'slide, a screw at the upper end of the leg, and a rotatable nut engaging said screw, said nut being confinedin a gap in the guide member.

8. Means for moving hospital and other bedsteads comprising a pair of vertical pillars, wheels carried by the lower ends of said pillars, transverse members connecting the pillars together, members sliding within the upper ends of the pillars and having shoulders, coiled'springs interposed between said shoulders and the ends Of the pillars, and clamping devices at the'upper ends of the sliding members for attaching to the bedstead frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand in presence of two SHlOSCIlblIlg,

witnesses.

ALFRED LAWVRENCE.

Witnesses HENRY NORTON SKERRETT, WVILLIAM STAITES SKERRETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

